Photographic printing easel



Feb. 7, 195() K. c. DE GROFF PHOTQGRAPHIC PRNTING EASEL Filed Aug. 2, 1946 @Y www ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED PHOTOGHAPHIC Pennes elle@ Kenneth C. De Groff, South Bend, Ind. Application Aug-est 2, 194 etiel N9: lill-43@ (e1.- .ee-24).

Claims. This invention relates to improvements in photeerephie printing 'eesels and morey particularly to an easel serving to hold a photographic erntrle eener for use in meting enlargements and the like. Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will permit the rapid and easy insertion of paperL thereto in riefee register 'further' object is to provide a device of this ehereeter' Constructed te. alleemeieellyL align printing paper thereinl incidenty to the closing of theeeeely A :further object is 'to provide a device of this character which v vill permit the ilormation of borderles's photographic prints.

A further objecty iste provide a device vof this character which will accommodate the convenient'use of masks for anydesired purpose, such as the formation of bordered prints, or formation of montages and the like.

4Other objects will be apparent from the following description and specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the device provided with a mask for use in forming montage prints. y

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the device in condition to make borderless prints.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 3-,3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the devicel conditioned to make a bordered print.

Fig. Il is a fragmentary detail sectional View illnstrating the automatic paper aligning function of the device.l

Fig. 5 is a top view of a modified form of the invention.

v Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeei 'l0 d'eeie'ieetee e' .bese Wheh has elevated .platform V2orrned centrally therein and spaced from the f margins ofithembase. The platform t2 is ied in desired relation to the pase lg and may form an integrin een thereof. The has@ ima il, i? Ymay beform'ed frorn'vvood, plasticmaterial, or any vother material fonnd suitalolefsuch as sheet metal, as illustrated in lFig.` fl. A 'pshaped lframe `comprising side rails ,I ,lly and end-relis I6 Hts en the base et the ,margin thereof elle einen@ the elelvetesl metiera Fernen' 1112 This frame .eelt .le eivefee te the bese .leeleeut the exis' 11.8 es by ,meets of pivot' breek-eten eerred'bv the eide felle .I4 elle Pfeiee'iiee thereeeew weer@ trentenne la: i Age besnelie eel' een@ te the eeree 2?, ef elette ml'illle eureefe'e ef Wllieh will be eetferillheeineftee AS best Shown' irl, Eig'. i3; lthe Side. membeie `l4 ef the frerrle e1-reef sueli length that. thi Pfeject at thefree endy ofthe "frame" beyond the eieeent elle 0f theblelfern. l?!

Theeide Teile 14 end, the erid rails l@ Qi the pivote@y flame ere piel/'leed with grooves '26 et their inner faces so located that 'thehQft'QT'll'S Qf ,Seid grooves '11e' substantially '1in the'. plane 91;' the top surface of the [2 when 'the iframe is eleeeel- These eroevee Mi ere etrange@ in co- Pleer feleftidn end ere'eflepted't0's-1debl reeelve e member which ieedeptel fer abutment with' the' printing Peper A28. resting uilen the top gf the n1atfom'|`2."As iuustrated'inngs-2 and 4l Het eleves" Plate elle. fein blifz'l nted iv'tllir the ereeve- 1n. Fie-"1e montage meek 3,2? helene e mefl'efee @Peeing 3,4, thelfen, 'fits temovablvvvithin the vgrooves 2'6". In Fig. l3a lbfrder 'illes/l 35 le' @Quei-ed W'ihfl'hhe .gfoeve' In the use of the easel the printing paper 28 is raidupen the pnpfrn ig while the pgfgtd ,frame le lifted, 01" etenillle ee illustrated lil File- .1 ene nel e The eeee'i'e nieve@ ,meenemen with the inner face r 35 o f the end `mev I6 @.f the eivet'el treme shewn in Fie! Hand one eeethereef 'perpendicular taille edge abutting ille ieee," le'eefe'ralelv Sleet'entfelly eliened with the' eerresplendine edeeff the letie'ri' l2 .Inetller Werde, theelleet's peeitieln d 'Sethet it le eeeten'efd irem elle eerlrle pertontherfeef by its engagement Witlfi'the 'inner face 3`8"of the frememeinbe l5 and the i. ee 50 .jf ,ene et @he frame Side members IAL B h ef tlelfreme .Side members ele Slightly de. ,erdly'enil 011t- Wee/ily Pei/.elet es? beet ShW., intie- ZJWith their upper edges suhstantiall'v abutting theadieee'et il'pper' eteils'" er' e S. @fthe ple. erm ,l 'e 'es "the ',e'velied frame '1e' lettered? 'trie Deber gli is shifted''tliererhyl For instance, Will'be Qbeervei freie Fle- 4 the? ee the Heine ielevvered, ,the 'ieee .38 meres bedilyewerdlvehd ,ere- Seen-iilely Shifts the 'lieber' il# ,uiel the I,Ille.tLfeLrrn thus assuring Ja full Iii VMar ahllitmentbtiveen the naleefeld'flhe feee' 3,? f1 the ',efenitle .hee riet been ,Seeerelr'irleeted Irithis Te non.. ythe 'height ojf't'h'e platform hlzfnd the ef iee'feee' 3j@ Wlllefefereelifbee @Seite 'epproximately one-half the spacing of the pivot axis I8 from the platform edge 22, so that the face 38 will lie in the path of the paper 28 on the platform when the frame is tilted to a substantial extent as required to insert the paper. This will tend therefore to square the paper upon the platform l2. A similar squaring and positioning action supplementing that performed by the face 38 is performed by one or both of the faces 40 of the side members I4 of the frame by virtue of the inclination of said faces. Thus, if a part of the paper projects beyond the platform I2 at any point, the inclination of the edges 40 serves as a cam which will shift that paper inwardly into true alignment with the corresponding edge of the platform. This self-aligning and self-positioning function of the frame with respect to the printing paper is a substantial advantage in that it permits high speed use of the easel by avoiding the necessity of time-expending care of positioning of the paper on the platform. Likewise, it insures that, if the paper is positioned improperly, the paper will be moved to a proper squared position incident to the closing of the easel.

Another advantage of the device is that it is possible to form a borderless print of any size vin the easel, with assurance of perfect registry.

The accuracy of register obtainable with the device is of an order which permits successive exposures of a given paper, even in cases where the the absence of any automatic paper aligning means in such devices, even where such devices included guide pins and like means.

Another object of the invention is that masks I for use in forming borders, as illustrated in Fig.

3, or for use in forming montages may be used at will by simply withdrawing the previously used hold-down member from the grooves 26 and inserting the desired mask therein. Thus, referring to Fig. 3, it will be apparent that the bordering mask 36, which is mounted in the groove, 26, will provide a border on the printed paper 28 determined by the size of the opening in said mask 36. For use in forming a montage the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 may be used, which construction comprises the panel 32 and the montage opening 34. If the montage is to comprise four separate views, the opening 34 may be formed of a size exactly one-quarter of the area of the platform l2 to permit the exposure successively of one-fourth of the printing paper.

Between the successive exposures the montage mask 32 may be removed and repositioned in the frame to expose other sections of the printing paper. Successive exposures are possible in accurately positioned relation by virtue of the fact that as the pivoted frame is elevated incident to and preparatory to removal and changing of the position of the mask 32, accuracy of register of the printed paper is not destroyed thereby. In other words, the printing paper if moved can be returned automatically to its proper registering position by the action of the faces 38 and 40 of the frame upon the edges thereof incident to reclosing of the frame after the position of the montage mask has been changed.

Among the possibilities of this construction are that a borderless montage print in which the separate views blend or merge with each other without overlapping thereof can easily be achieved by providing a mask with an opening 34 of the proper size and shape. While the mask 32 shown contains an opening oi a size to permit a four print montage image upon the printing plate, it will be apparent that a montage mask having an opening of any desired size or shape may be formed at will by simply cutting from a sheet of opaque material, such as heavy cardboard, an opening of the desired size and shape located at the desired position in the mask with respect to the position of the platform I2. Also it is possible by providing a group of montage masks, each formed with openings in proper relation, to provide a montage having a number of prints exposed in geometric relation and of equal size or to provide a number of prints upon the paper 28 of irregular size. Obviously, it is also possible to form a montage print wherein the individual montages are spaced apart instead of merging or registering as described above.

A modied embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the base 50 is provided with an elevated platform 52 as in the preferred embodiment and has a projection 54 formed at one corner thereof characterized by an angular disposition or arrangement to the rectangular elevated platform 52. The U-shaped frame comprising the end member 56 and the side members 58 fits upon the base 50 and around the elevated platform 52 in the same manner as in the preferred embodiment. At one corner of the frame and preferably projecting from the end part 56 are angularly extending portions 60 lying in the same plane as the frame and overlying the portion 54 of the base. Depending hinge plates 62 are carried by the frame members 8D and the pintle 84 passes through the projection 54 of the base and the plate 62.

It will be observed that in this modified embodiment the pivot axis of the frame is at an angle to the frame members and to the edges of the elevated platform, preferably being located below the level of the top of the platform 52. Consequently, when the frame is pivoted to permit the insertion of a paper therein, a portion at Vleast of two of the inner edges of the frame members will have the same type of action which is best illustrated in Fig. 4. Consequently, a print of any size may be inserted in the device against the corner nearest to the pivot axis with its edges abutting the inner surfaces of the frame members, and, upon subsequent closing or lowering of the frame, the inner surfaces of the frame members at said corner will engage and push upon the paper to insure that the paper is exactly coincident with the corner of the platform 52 when the easel is in its printing position. This construction, therefore, eliminates the necessity of providing the bevel 40 at the edges of the side portions of the frame as in the preferred embodiment without in any way sacrificing from the accuracy of positioning and register which is desired.

The easel is adapted for other purposes than photographic printing. Thus the accuracy of positioning made possible by the device renders the device adaptable for use in copying with the desired degree of accuracy of register as when it is desired to make a negative from a positive print. Another use for the easel is in color photography printing Where perfect registry is absolutely essential and where the obtaining of that registry by the means herein disclosed would constitute a definite advantage. Another fleld of use for the device is in art work where it is desired to accurately reproduce layouts and other items.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in other forms within its spirit and within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A photographic printing easel comprising a base having an elevated rigid paper supporting platform, a U-shaped frame fitting snugly around said platform and pivoted to said base about an axis spaced outwardly from and below said platform, said frame having a continuous groove in its inner margin and open at its ends whose lower portions lie substantially in the plane of said platform when said frame is closed, and a fiat substantially rigid panel removably mounted in said groove to span said frame, the inner face of said frame projecting below said groove a depth substantially equal to the height of said platform.

2. A photographic printing easel comprising a base having an elevated rigid paper supporting platform, a U-shaped frame fitting around said platform with slight clearance at the top surface plane of the platform and pivoted to said base in outwardly spaced relation to said platform and below the top of the platform, said frame having a continuous groove in its inner margin and open at the ends of said frame whose lower portions lie substantially in the plane of said platform when said frame is closed, and a rigid flat panel removably mounted in said groove, the inner face of said frame parallel to and adjacent pivot axis projecting below said groove to a depth substantially equal to the height of said platform, said pivot axis being spaced from the adjacent upper edge of said platform a distance not substantially more than twice the height of said platform.

3. A photographic printing easel comprising a base having an elevated fixed paper supporting platform, a rigid U-shaped frame tting around said platform with slight clearance at each of three sides thereof and pivoted to said base about an axis parallel to and below an edge of said platform, said frame having a groove in its inner margin and open at its ends whose lower portions lie substantially in the plane of said platform when said frame is closed, a rigid flat panel slidably retained in said groove, the inner face of said frame parallel to'and adjacent to the pivot axis being of a depth substantially equal to the height of said platform and not substantially less than one-half the spacing of said pivot axis from the adjacent upper edge of said platform, the free end portion of said frame projecting outwardly beyond said platform.

4. A photographic printing easel comprising a base having an elevated stationary paper supporting platform, a U-shaped frame fitting snug ly around said platform at the level of its surface and pivoted to said base about an axis parallel to and below an edge of said platform, said frame having an open-ended groove in its inner margin whose lower portions lie substantially in the plane of said platform when said frame is closed, the inner face of said frame parallel to and ad jacent to the pivot axis being of a depth substantially equal to the height of said platform and the remaining inner frame faces being inclined downwardly and outwardly, and a hold-down` member removably mounted in said frame groove.

5.-A photograph easel comprising a base having an elevated stationary platform spaced from its edges, a frame fitting snugly around said platform, and means for pivoting said frame to said base about an axis spaced outwardly from and below the plane of the surface of said platform, the top of said platform being defined in part by two perpendicularly disposed side edges, defining a corner adjacent to said pivot axis, and said pivot axis being angularly arranged relative to both of said edges and substantially parallel to the plane of said top surface.

KENNETH C. DE GROFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,835,340 Satterlee Dec. 8, 1931 1,999,616 Peterson Apr. 30, 1935 2,298,583 Mullen Oct. 13, 1942 2,300,264 Morin Oct. 27, 1942 

